Day: December 25, 2021

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan reminded people to steer clear from going overboard while celebrating Christmas and New Year’s 2022 and also to follow health protocols with discipline.

“The celebrations of Christmas and New Year’s 2022 are still being conducted in a simple way without being excessive, because we must continue to maintain and improve our discipline in following the COVID-19 health protocols,” Pandjaitan noted in one of his posts uploaded on his personal Instagram account @luhut.pandjaitan on Saturday.

The minister pointed out that in the past two years, Indonesia had been battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The minister expressed gratitude over the significant decline in the number of positive confirmed cases and death rates. He also thanked God, as the pandemic could be faced together and eventually surmounted.

“This is all thanks to our prayers and efforts together, and with us working hard and being united, we are able to do this in an integrated manner,” he affirmed.

Pandjaitan also advised to increase concern over health and adherence to health protocols.

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“I believe and hope that in future, we would be able to fight together to face this difficult time. Do not become arrogant, stay humble, and everyone must keep working together. Those are the keys to our success in dealing with this for the past two years,” he recalled.

He also reminded the public to not become euphoric after the COVID-19 cases were brought under control, as the pandemic was still ongoing. On the positive side, Indonesia’s economic recovery was progressing at a much faster rate as compared to other countries.

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“We can be proud, but we should not be arrogant. I expect that we do not become complacent because there is still a long way to go (to emerge) from COVID-19. There is still much we do not know about COVID-19, and we are lucky to be one of the few countries whose economic recovery is rapid, even though we have been attacked by the delta variant,” he remarked.

Pandjaitan expects everyone to unite together against the pandemic that continues to haunt Indonesia.

“May the God, Most Merciful, be with us in 2022, (guiding us to) make Indonesia even better,” he concluded.

Source: Antara News

Seventy-eight churches organizing offline Christmas Mass and activities in Bogor city, West Java were observing the health protocols, the city’s police chief, Senior Commissioner Susatyo, informed on Saturday.

“The Christmas Mass has been organized smoothly, with health protocols observed. We will maintain church security to ensure the conduct of afternoon and evening Mass remains smooth,” he said at Baranangsiang police station, Bogor.

A total of 1,400 joint military and police personnel comprising 800 police officers, 300 army personnel, and 300 municipal police officers have been mobilized to maintain security in Bogor city during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, he informed.

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The joint forces have been divided into groups, with six groups dispatched to places of interest in the city that can potentially attract crowds, and other officers have been stationed at culinary centers and Bogor’s 18 tourism attractions, the police chief said.

Susatyo said that he and Bogor Mayor Bima Arya Sugiarto had reviewed the security situation in the city on Christmas Eve (December 24, 2021). Security checkpoints at Bogor Nirwana Residence and Bogor outer ring road intersections were among the places reviewed by the mayor, he informed.

The mayor also observed Mass at the Pentecostal Church of Bogor, Protestant Church of Zebaoth, Protestant Church of Petra, Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and several other churches, he added.

Source: Antara News

South Sumatra province has reached the 70-percent target for first dose COVID-19 vaccinations, Governor Herman Deru has informed.

“This is good news that the vaccination coverage in South Sumatra surpassed 70 percent on Friday afternoon. The achievement has been faster than our target,” he remarked on Saturday.

As of Friday (December 24, 2021), the number of South Sumatra residents who had received their first COVID-19 jab stood at 4,419,750, or 70.12 percent of the 6,303,496 targeted recipients.

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“I thank all relevant parties under the command of the South Sumatra provincial police chief, particularly the people of South Sumatra, who have been proactive with this vaccination,” Deru said.

Meanwhile, head of the South Sumatra Provincial Health Office, Lesty Nurainy, said first dose vaccinations in 9 out of the 17 cities and districts in the province have crossed 70 percent.

According to the Health Office, first dose vaccinations were recorded at 85.69 percent in Prabumulih, 81.62 percent in Palembang, 72.78 percent in Lubuk Linggau, and 72.31 percent in Pagaralam.

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First dose vaccination coverage in Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir reached 73.19 percent, Ogan Komering Ulu 71.24 percent, Muara Enim 70.70 percent, Musi Banyuasin 76.77 percent, and Empat Lawang 71.75 percent, it added.

Meanwhile, the vaccination coverage in 8 districts was less than 70 percent: Ogan Komering Ilir (62.33 percent), Lahat (64.12 percent), Musi Rawas (65.23 percent), Banyuasinn (61.37 percent), Ogan Komering Ulu Selatan (67.84 percent), Ogan Komering Ulu Timur (62.24 percent), Ogan Ilir (62.64 percent), and Musi Rawas Utara (60.91 percent), Nurainy said.

“The highest (vaccination rate) was recorded at 85.69 percent in Prabumulih and the lowest at 60.91 percent in Musi Rawas Utara,” she added.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia reported 255 cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours ended Saturday afternoon, the COVID-19 Response Task Force informed.

Jakarta recorded the highest number of daily cases at 80, followed by Riau Islands, which reported 65 infections, and West Java, Central Java, and West Papua, which added 18 cases each.

With the addition of 255 cases, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases since the first confirmed cases were detected in March 2020 reached 4,261,667.

Meanwhile, the number of patients recovering from COVID-19 was recorded at 45 in Jakarta, 31 in Southeast Sulawesi, 20 each in West Java and Yogyakarta, and 15 in Central Java.

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With 195 patients recovering from the infection on Saturday, total recoveries reached 4,112,901.

Meanwhile, six patients succumbed to the infection in Central Java and two each in East Java and Banten, pushing the COVID-19 death toll to 144,053.

According to the task force, the number of active cases or patients receiving medical treatment and conducting self-isolation increased by 54 to 4,713 compared to the previous day.

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In addition, 3,856 suspected COVID-12 cases were recorded based on the results of tests conducted on 208,587 specimens, obtained from 149,285 people, at hundreds of laboratories across Indonesia

The daily positivity rate for specimens was 0.21 percent and the daily positivity rate for people was 0.17 percent, the task force informed.

Source: Antara News